(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reproduction apparatus for use in the electrophotographic copying machine and the like, and more particularly, it relates to an image reproduction apparatus for reproducing images such as letters and figures written on a board (wherein letters and the like are written for display on a plane made of a resin, which enables white color to be easily erased, by means of a felt pen and this is called writing board and white board but it will be hereinafter referred to as board).
(b) Prior Art
Letters, figures and the like written on the blackboard in meetings and lectures were conventionally transcribed into a notebook. For the purpose of avoiding troublesome handwork and preventing clerical errors at the transcription however, some image reproduction apparatus have been proposed to directly copy the letters and the like written on the blackboard.
In the case of one of these image reproduction apparatus for example, the board on which letters and the like have been written is arranged so as to be movable into and out of a dark box; light is irradiated onto the board which has entered inside the dark box; light reflected from the board is introduced onto the surface of a photosensitive body through an optical system such as lens and mirror and the images such as the letters on the board are reproduced onto the photosensitive body according to the well-known electrophotographic process; the images thus reproduced on the photosensitive body are copied onto a sheet of paper.
In the case of this image reproduction apparatus, however, the board must be arranged so as to be movable into and out of the apparatus. When the board has an area large enough to serve as the blackboard, therefore, the whole of the apparatus must be made large. When the whole of the apparatus is made small to the contrary, the board must be small so it cannot sufficiently serve as the blackboard.
In addition, the above arrangement enables only the image written on the board to be copies but makes it impossible to copy images from the originals.